A 2-way radio is usually constructed so it is always in a receive mode to receive signals that drive a speaker, except when a PTT (push-to-talk) switch is being activated. During the time when the PTT switch is actuated, the radio only transmits signals representing sound picked up by a microphone. The 2-way radio is commonly contained in a single case with a projecting antenna, so a person must lift his/her hand to reach the PTT switch on the case to depress it.
Drivers who drive vehicles under difficult conditions, such as a bicycle or motorcycle driver manipulating in heavy traffic, generally should not be encouraged to take his/her hands off the steering bar to press the PUT switch. Since the 2-way radio is commonly mounted on the driver's waist, one solution has been to extend a cord from the 2-way radio to a switch box mounted more conveniently on the person, such as on the person's chest, or in a vehicle such as a police car. This still requires the driver to take a hand off the steering bar and to find and depress the PTT switch. Also, the presence of a cable can add danger to the driver, as when the cable becomes snagged on a stationery object as the driver moves by. Apparatus for operating a 2-way radio to switch to a transmit mode, which avoided the need for the driver to take a hand off the steering bar to find and depress a switch, and which avoided the presence of a PTT cable extending from the radio, would be of value.